Ünlü to Lecture Down Under

The Australian Research Council Nanotechnology Network (ARCNN) selected Professor Selim Ünlü (ECE) as a 2007 Distinguished Lecturer. The honor comes with an invitation to lecture at universities across Australia. The ARCNN began its Distinguished Lecturer program to bring international nanotechnology experts to Australia and typically names five or six lecturers per year, according to Liz Micallef, ARCNN network manager. Past lecturers include Professor Henry Smith of MIT, Professor Sir Mike Pepper of the University of Cambridge, and Professor Klaus Ploog from the Paul Drude Institute in Berlin. Ünlü’s nomination came from Professor Chennupati Jagadish, the convener of the ARCNN and a professor and head of semiconductor optoelectrics and nanotechnology group at Australian National University. Ünlü plans to lecture on his research in optical resonance and quantum dot imaging. His work in these areas includes a project using the resonance of light to precisely measure contours and surface conformation of DNA when it attaches to microarrays. He also studies quantum dot characterization, using near-field scanning optical microscopy, a technique that uses an optical fiber probe to gather higher resolution images than standard optical microscopy methods. As he travels Australia, Ünlü also hopes to establish connections with Australian scientists. “I am certainly hoping that this trip will result in some collaborations. The obvious connection is with Professor Jagadish on quantum dot characterization. I hope to make connections on our biosensing and imaging work as well,” said Ünlü.